Bitter Night (40 page)

“I’m not sure I did him any big favors.”

Alexander frowned, his thumbs rubbing her neck lightly. “You are angry. Why?”

She shook her head. “Not angry. I’m just ΓǪ”

“Just?”

She pulled out of his grasp. “I just need sleep. There’s a lot of work to do to rebuild Horngate. And to get ready for this war.”

Not until that moment did he realize she was deep into that inner place where he could not follow. He resisted the urge to grab her and shake her out of it. But he could not let her walk away either. He had to hold her there and bring her back out of herself. He ran his tongue over the edge of his teeth. Alexander was struck by the notion that she was fragile. Just like steel, under the right conditions she could shatter.

“You have not eaten in some time. Come join me. You can sleep on a full stomach.”

She hesitated, then nodded grudgingly. “I could eat.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “But that’s all.”

“I know. You do not mess with the men of your coven. Unless it is a last request for the condemned prisoner, is that right?”

“You remember that, huh?”

He rubbed his lips with his thumb. “How could I forget?”

“Work on it,” she said shortly. “It won’t be happening again.”

With that she stalked away. Alexander smiled and followed. It would happen again. Sooner or later. He would make sure of it.

24

THOUGH SHE WAS AWARE OF ALEXANDER TRAILING behind her, Max was no longer thinking of him. Her chest ached with a churning mixture of rage, grief, and hatred. She’d spent most of the last four nights scouring what was left of Horngate. There were no trees left for several miles. Nothing green grew, and much of the mountain above had been turned to slag. The greenhouses still stood, but the plants within had died. All that was left of the coven’s twenty-two witches were Giselle and Magpie. Max had eight Shadowblades left, counting herself, Thor, and Alexander. Another had died of his injuries since that night. There were seven Sunspears and forty-two humans’the families of the witches who’d died. The shields were down, and Giselle was in no shape to do anything about them. Horngate was pitifully crippled. Having Xaphan and Tutresiel meant that Selange would think twice about attacking right away, but eventually she would come.

Horngate needed to rebuild.

And that meant Max was going to have to do things she’d sworn she would never willingly do. Like find victims for Giselle to turn into Sunspears and Shadowblades. It meant working with Giselle’helping her.

Max didn’t notice when Alexander fell behind. She strode through the fortress to Giselle’s apartment and thrust through the door without knocking. The gurney had disappeared and the furniture had been situated back in the room. Giselle was swaddled in blankets as she lay on a couch staring up at the ceiling. She was alone.

She sat up as Max barged in. She was barely more than a skeleton wrapped in a skin suit. Her hair was crisp like straw, and her hands shook uncontrollably. She eyed Max with resigned wariness. Max glared back with a spurt of hot anger and began prowling restlessly. She didn’t know what she wanted to say. The idea of saying she wanted a truce actually hurt, like jagged glass wedged in her chest.

Finally she flung herself into a chair opposite the couch, slouching low. “All right. I’ll help.”

Giselle didn’t need any explanation. She sat up, her eyes widening, her cheeks flushing. With relief? Triumph? Max ground her teeth together.

“You won’t fight me anymore?” Giselle’s voice quavered, though whether from weakness or from emotion, there was no telling.

Max smiled a cold smile. “It all depends.”

“On what? I won’t release your bindings. I told you that before.”

“I remember, and I’m not asking for that. But if you want my full cooperation, then you don’t fuck me over anymore. And I get a say in how things are done. You have to stop keeping secrets, too. I want to know what’s going on. If you do that, then you can have me. All of me. Balls to the wall. Take it or leave it.”

“I still get the final say on decisions,” Giselle warned. “And you have to trust that everything I do is for Horngate.”

Max nodded, her lip curling, feeling like she’d been chewing on rancid meat. She always knew that everything the witch did was for Horngate. It wasn’t until the last few days that she’d realized she was no different’there wasn’t much she wouldn’t do to protect the place’her home, her people. That didn’t mean she and Giselle were going to start having slumber parties and braiding each other’s hair. Abruptly Max stood. “So we’re agreed?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

Max turned and started for the door, then stopped. She swung back around.

“For the record, just what did you promise Scooter? He’it’said I was his gift.”

“Scooter?” Giselle frowned.

Max sighed gustily. “Your little friend in the basement’the one who’s been guarding our back door. Just what is he expecting from me?”

Giselle smiled faintly. “Oh.” She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know. My visions told me that you were the one he was looking for. I don’t know why. But I know we need him here.”

Max tipped her head. “For what?”

“I don’t know that either. But try not to’” She waved a hand meaningfully.

“What?”

“Piss him off. Send him screaming into another dimension. Just play nice.”

Max shook her head. “I just hope his idea of playing doesn’t leave me in a coma.” She paused. “There’s another thing.”

“What?” Giselle was wary again.

“My family’I want to bring them here. And everyone else who has family should fetch them, too. Before the Guardians let loose on the world.”

For a moment the witch said nothing, then slowly she nodded. “Do it. And, Max, we need to rebuild, and fast. I have some ideas, but you’re not going to like them. As soon as I’m on my feet again, we’re going to get started.”

And just like that everything changed. Enemies were friends, and friends were enemies. Max smiled. It was thin but without hate or bitterness. “I’ll be ready.”